Overview of criticism of ESPN
Throughout its history , ESPN and its sister networks have been the targets of criticism[ 1] for programming choices, biased coverage,[ 2] conflict of interest , and controversies with individual broadcasters and analysts.[ 3] [ 4] Additionally, ESPN has been criticized for focusing too much on the Dallas Cowboys , LeBron James ,[ 5] [ 6] [ 7] [ 8] Aaron Judge , Lionel Messi , basketball and American football and very little on other sports such as the National Hockey League [ 9] (NHL) and Major League Baseball [ 10] [ 11] (MLB). Other criticism has focused on issues of race and ethnicity in ESPN's varying mediated forms, as well as carriage fees and issues regarding the exportation of ESPN content.[ 12]
Some critics argue that ESPN's success is their ability to provide other enterprise and investigative sports news while competing with other hard sports-news-producing outlets such as Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports . Some scholars have challenged ESPN's journalistic integrity calling for an expanded standard of professionalism to prevent biased coverage and conflicts of interest.[ 13] Mike Freeman 's 2001 book ESPN: The Uncensored History ,[ 14] which alleged sexual harassment, drug use and gambling, was the first critical study of ESPN. And then in 2011, a detailed oral history[ 15] about ESPN by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales called Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN [ 16] [ 17] [ 18] [ 19] was released.
^ "Behind the Scene Scandals That Took Place At ESPN" . Hooch.net . October 20, 2016.
^ "Was Knicks Game 7 fanfest a new low for ESPN's NBA Countdown?" . Awful Announcing . May 19, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024 .
^ Freeman, Michael (December 11, 2001). ESPN: The Uncensored History . Taylor Trade Publishing. ISBN 978-0878332700 .
^ Furdyk, Brent (March 31, 2024). "The Shady Side Of ESPN" . Nicki Swift . Retrieved April 1, 2024 .
^ Salao, Colin (May 23, 2023). "ESPN is Receiving Heavy Criticism for Its NBA Playoffs Coverage" . TheStreet.com . Retrieved May 25, 2023 .
^ Pantuosco, Jesse (May 23, 2023). "ESPN showed Nuggets celebration for all of four seconds before panning to LeBron" . Awful Announcing . Retrieved May 25, 2023 .
^ Contes, Brandon (May 24, 2023). "Charles Barkley rips ESPN's LeBron James-Los Angeles Lakers favoritism" . Awful Announcing . Retrieved May 27, 2023 .
^ Contes, Brandon (May 27, 2023). "Charles Barkley 'disappointed' LeBron used the 'fools on ESPN' to overshadow Nuggets" . Awful Announcing . Retrieved May 27, 2023 .
^ Axelrod, Ben (June 20, 2024). "Why are ESPN's morning shows ignoring Stanley Cup Final?" . Awful Announcing . Retrieved June 21, 2024 .
^ Pantuosco, Jesse (October 6, 2023). "Where have ESPN's baseball personalities disappeared to?" . Awful Announcing . Retrieved October 6, 2023 .
^ Koo, Ben (October 6, 2023). "This is why ESPN & FS1 ignore MLB and other sports on debate studio shows" . Awful Announcing . Retrieved October 6, 2023 .
^ Earnheardt, Adam C. (July 17, 2015). "Chapter 20 Afterword: Challenging the Worldwide Leader in Sports". In McGuire, John; Armfield, Greg; Earnheardt, Adam C. (eds.). The ESPN Effect: Exploring the Worldwide Leader in Sports . Peter Lang. pp. 265–270. ISBN 978-1433126000 .
^ Oates, T. P.; Pauly, J. (2007). "Sports journalism as moral and ethical discourse" . Journal of Mass Media Ethics . 22 (4): 332–347. doi :10.1080/08900520701583628 . S2CID 143559022 .
^ Freeman, Martin (2001). ESPN: The Uncensored History . Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780878332700 .
^ Weiss, Will (June 7, 2011). "Bronx Banter Book Review: The ESPN Book" . Bronx Banter . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ Shales, Miller, Tom, James Andrew (May 24, 2011). Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN . Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316125765 . {{cite book }}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link )
^ Yoder, Matt (May 26, 2011). "Those Guys Have All The Fun Book Review" . Awful Announcing .
^ Lewis, Andy (May 25, 2011). " 'Those Guys Have All the Fun:' Book Review" . The Hollywood Reporter .
^ Brownfeld, Paul (May 27, 2011). "Book review: 'ESPN: Those Guys Have All the Fun' " . Los Angeles Times .